• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 2024

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses are markedly induced during toxic responses caused by various chemical substances, including difenoconazole, but no research has been conducted on 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP), a chemical that is generally used in agriculture and industry, which induces hepatotoxicity. Therefore, in this study, the changes in indicators for hepatotoxicity, apoptosis, and ER stress were analyzed in TCP-treated Sprague Dawley (SD) rats to study the regulatory mechanism of ER stress during the hepatotoxicity. The TCP-treated group decreased in body weight and dietary intake compared to the vehicle-treated group, and necrosis and vacuolation increased significantly in liver histology. In addition, the expression of apoptosis-related factors, including Bax/Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase (Cas)-3/Cas-3 increased significantly in the TCP-treated group compared to the vehicle-treated group. In the analysis of ER stress response indicators, the expression of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), phospho-eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha subunit (eIF2α), and phospho-inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) increased only in the TCP100-treated group and decreased in the TCP200-treated group. However, the transcriptions of growth arrest and DNA damage-34 (GADD34) increased in the TCP200-treated group, while Spliced X-box binding protein-1 (XBP1s) and unspliced XBP1(XBP1u) decreased in the same group. These results suggest that the ER stress response is successfully triggered during the hepatotoxicity induced by TCP treatment through the alternative regulation of the unfolded-protein response (UPR) pathway.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1443-1451
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• 2014

Increasing cost and scarcity of maize has stimulated the use of alternative feed sources (AFS) in the diets of cattle. In this study, we investigated the effects of partial or total replacement of maize on nutrient digestibility, growth performance, blood metabolites, and economics in Limousin crossbred feedlot cattle. Forty-five $Limousin{\times}Luxi$ crossbred bulls were randomly assigned to the three treatment groups, orthodox diet (OD; 45.0% maize), partial replacement diet (PRD; 15% maize, 67% AFS), total replacement diet (TRD; 0% maize, 100% AFS). The growth feeding trial lasted for 98 days. Dry matter intake (DMI) and average daily gain (ADG) were recorded. The digestion trial was carried out after the end of the growth trial. Total faeces and feed samples were measured daily. Digestibilities of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were calculated. After the feeding trial, blood metabolites were measured in 12 animals from each group. Initial and final body weights did not differ significantly among treatment groups (p>0.05). The ADG and DMI were 1.72 and 8.66, 1.60 and 9.10, and 1.40 and 9.11 kg/d for OD, PRD, and TRD, respectively. The PRD and TRD exhibited lower ADG (p<0.01) and higher DMI (p<0.01) than OD. The DMI (%body weight) was comparable between groups (p>0.5). Feed efficiency of PRD and TRD were lower than OD (p<0.01). The DM digestibility decreased with reduced level of maize (p = 0.10), OM digestibility was higher in OD (p<0.05), and CP, NDF and ADF digestibilities were similar for all groups (p>0.05). Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dL) in PRD and TRD was higher than OD (p<0.01), while other blood parameters did not differ significantly. Feed costs ($/head/d) were 1.49, 0.98, and 0.72 for OD, PRD, and TRD, respectively (p<0.01). Feed costs per kg gain ($) were significantly lower for PRD (0.63) and TRD (0.54) than OD (0.89; p<0.01). Overall profit ($/head) and daily profit ($/head/d) did not differ significantly between treatments (p>0.05), although TRD showed the highest economic benefits overall (p<0.01). While a traditional diet maximized the growth rate, partial or total replacement of dietary maize with AFS proved economically feasible due to their lower costs and comparable nutrient digestibilities of DM, CP, NDF, and ADF. Partial replacement may prove economically competitive in the current situation of China.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.302-310
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• 2002

Purpose : X-linked agammaglobulinemia(XLA) is an immunodeficiency caused by abnormalities in Bruton's tyrosine kinase(Btk), and is characterized by a deficiency of peripheral blood B cells. We studied cytoplasmic expression of Btk protein and analyzed the Btk gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) from three XLA families in Korea. Methods : Heparinized venous blood samples were collected from four XLA patients and additional family members in three unrelated XLA families. Mononuclear cells were separated from their blood and the intracellular Btk protein was characterized by a flow cytometry. The mutation analysis was performed using direct sequencing. Results : Cytoplasmic expression of Btk protein in monocytes was not detected in the patients with XLA. We observed a novel deletion and two point mutations within introns(intron 1 and intron 18) resulting in alternative splicings. In XLA family 2, a 980 bp deletion(from intron 9+191 T to intron 10-215 C) including exon 10 was found in patient P2. He was the only sporadic case in this study, because his mother and brother showed a normal Btk expression by flow cytometry. Conclusion : These identified genetic alterations support the molecular heterogeneity of Btk gene in XLA disease. Additionally, by means of flow cytometric analysis, we diagnosed three hypogammaglobulinemia patients as XLA. Advancements in diagnostic methods has facilitated a prompt and definite diagnosis of this disease.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2010

Purpose : In evaluation of patients, laboratory results are crucial in determination of a treatment plan. Obtaining venous blood from infants and children is a difficult procedure. Substitution of a capillary blood sample for a venous blood sample has been suggested. However, there are few studies showing mutual correlation between C-reactive protein (CRP) results in capillary and venous blood. This study was designed to determine whether the result of the capillary sample is the same as the result of the venous blood sample. Methods : After informed consent, a pair of venous and fingertip capillary blood samples were simultaneously collected from 100 children. The LC-178CRPTM was used for analysis of capillary blood and the Hitachi 7180 automatic hematology analyzer was used for analysis of venous blood. We compared CRP of both venous and capillary blood samples. Results were analyzed by crosstabulation analysis, simple regression analysis and the Bland Altman Plot method. Results : A close correlation (90.63%) was observed between capillary and venous blood analyzed by crosstabulation analysis. CRP results were similar between the two groups and showed a high coefficient correlation ($\beta$=1.3434, $R^2$=0.9888, P<0.0001) when analyzed by a simple regression model. The average value in venous blood was also higher compared to capillary blood. According to Bland Altman Plot analysis, lab results were measured at a 95% confidence interval. Conclusion : CRP results from capillary blood showed close correlation with venous blood sampling. At present, venous blood sampling is the preferred method. However, due to difficulty in venous blood sampling, capillary sampling could be considered as an alternative technique for use with children.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.831-837
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• 2015

Insects have gained increasing attention as an alternative protein and nutrient rich food source for humans. This study was conducted to investigate the physicochemical characteristics and harmful components of edible crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) in the 6 districts of Yeonggwang (YG), Jeongseon (JS), Wonju (WJ), Hwaseong (HS), Geochang (GC), and Chungju (CJ). The average crude protein and crude lipid contents on a dry basis were 64.34% and 16.60%, respectively. The crude protein content of CJ was the highest (67.40%), whereas YG (59.42%) had the lowest content. On the other hand, the crude fat content of YG was the highest (20.61%), whereas CJ (14.04%) had the lowest content. The unsaturated fatty acid contents were 57.97-63.93 g/100 g of the total fatty acid content in the crickets of the 6 districts. The major fatty acids of the crickets in the 6 districts were palmitic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid. Among the essential amino acids, valine, leucine, and lysine were the most abundant. GC had the highest total amino acids (57.93 g/100 g), whereas YG (48.65 g/100 g) had the lowest. Major mineral contents included potassium (K, 0.92~1.01 mg/100 mg) and phosphorus (P, 0.74~0.88 mg/100 mg). The mineral composition was fairly similar among the crickets. Crickets in the 6 districts were verified to have safe levels of residual heavy metals according to the Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA) advisory levels.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.955-962
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• 2016

Fish-meat gel is an intermediate product used in a variety of surimi-based seafood. One of the most-used raw materials of fish-meat gel is Alaska Pollock due to its high-quality meat in terms of gel strength and texture. However, increasing demand for fish-meat gel, along with overexploitation of the wild catch Alaska Pollock, has put the industry in need of low-cost sustainable alternative sources for fish-meat gel. Pagrus major (PM) is a widely aquacultured fish known for having white meat that is low in fat. The current study compares the quality of fish-meat gel prepared from aquacultured PM to that of high and mid-grade Alaska Pollock fish-meat gel. Gels were compared in terms of gel strength, texture, color, and protein pattern. Results indicated that fish-meat gels prepared from PM were superior to Alaska Pollock fish-meat gels with regard to gel strength, hardness, springiness, chewiness, cutting strength, and breaking force. In addition, although not matching in quality, PM exhibited a cohesiveness, whiteness, and expressible moisture content comparable to Alaska Pollock of both grades. Protein pattern analysis also showed that PM and Alaska Pollock fish-meat gels had similar protein profiles before and after gel preparation. Therefore, P. major is suggested as a potential substitute for Alaska Pollock in fish-meat gel production.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.261-268
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of environmental temperature (ET; $21^{\circ}C$ and $32^{\circ}C$) and antibiotic substitute conditions on meat quality of chicken breast during cold storage. Seven treatments were as follows; T1, ET $21^{\circ}C$ + antibiotics (+); T2, ET $21^{\circ}C$ + antibiotics (-); T3, ET $32^{\circ}C$ + antibiotics (+); T4, ET $32^{\circ}C$ + antibiotics (-); T5, ET $32^{\circ}C$ + 0.1% Lactobacillus; T6, ET $32^{\circ}C$ + 0.1% medicinal plant extract; T7, ET $32^{\circ}C$ + 0.1% essential oil. T7 had a higher (p<0.05) pH at 72 h post-slaughter value when compared to the other treatments. The CIE $b^*$ value of treatments at ET $32^{\circ}C$ showed significantly (p<0.05) higher when compared to the treatments at $21^{\circ}C$. T7 also had significantly (p<0.05) lower TBARS values than the other treatments as the storage time increased. T6 contained significantly (p<0.05) higher extractability of salt-soluble protein contents than the other treatments. The results from SDS-PAGE showed that the actin protein decreased for ET treatments at $32^{\circ}C$. The concentration of actin protein was not significantly different among T1, T2 and T7. Therefore, these result suggested that the antibiotic alternative with essential oil was effective under the high environmental temperature ($32^{\circ}C$) for chicken meat production.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.173-178
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• 2022

A lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) method using carbon nanodot@silica as a signaling material was developed for analyzing the concentration of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), one of the lung cancer biomarkers. Instead of antibodies mainly used as bioreceptors in nitrocellulose membranes in LFIA for protein detection, aptamers that are more economical, easy to store for a long time, and have strong affinities toward specific target proteins were used. A 5' terminal of biotin-modified aptamer specific to RBP4 was first reacted with neutravidin followed by spraying the mixture on the membrane in order to immobilize the aptamer in a porous membrane by the strong binding affinity between biotin and neutravidin. Carbon nanodot@silica nanoparticles with blue fluorescent signal covalently conjugated to the RBP4 antibody, and RBP4 were injected in a lateral flow manner on to the surface bound aptamer to form a sandwich complex. Surfactant concentrations, ionic strength, and additional blocking reagents were added to the running buffer solution to optimize the fluorescent signal off from the sandwich complex which was correlated to the concentration of RBP4. A 10 mM Tris (pH 7.4) running buffer containing 150 mM NaCl and 0.05% Tween-20 with 0.6 M ethanolamine as a blocking agent showed the optimum assay condition for carbon nanodot@silica-based LFIA. The results indicate that an aptamer, more economical and easier to store for a long time can be used as an alternative immobilizing probe for antibody in a LFIA device which can be used as a point-of-care diagnosis kit for lung cancer diseases.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.447-454
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• 2023

In the environment in which humans live, there are various antigens that invade the human body and interfere with humans leading a healthy life, so the immune system recognizes the antigen then removes them through a complex mechanism. Macrophages are widely distributed immune cells involved in the innate immune system, and produce various immune modulators such as inducible nitric oxide synthase-induced nitric oxide, cyclooxygenase-2 induced prostaglandin E2 and proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha. On the other hand, Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae are a type of edible insect that have emerged as an alternative to the future food supply problem. The immuno-modulatory effect through the activation of murine macrophage RAW264.7 cell via mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways has been reported. Based on this report, in this study, we confirmed how the expression of immune modulators induced by Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae extracts in RAW264.7 cells was changed by treatment with pharmacological inhibitors of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), MAPKs and NF-κB signaling pathways. As a result, reduction of immune modulators was confirmed in the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor treatment group and NF-κB inhibitor treatment group among the Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae-treated RAW264.7 cell. Furthermore, in the TLR4 inhibitor-treated group, decreases in phosphorylation of JNK and NF-κB factors were confirmed in Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae-treated RAW264.7 cell, as well as decreases in immune modulators. This results suggest that Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae activates RAW264.7 cells by the engagement of TLR4-JNK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.343-350
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• 2010

Cheongkukjang was prepared by addition of medicinal herb powder (from Lentinus edodes, Codonopsis lanceolata BENTH et HOOK, or Houttuynia cordata THUNB) to improve Cheongkukjang quality and functional properties. Redness and yellowness (measured using Hunter’s color values) increased with increasing amounts of medicinal herb powder, whereas lightness (the third Hunter's color value) and pH decreased. Crude protein and lipid levels of Cheongkukjang decreased with increasing amounts of added medicinal herb powder, whereas powder addition did not affect either the moisture or crude ash content of Cheongkukjang. The major organic acids of Cheongkukjang were lactic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, and citric acid, and acid levels increased as the proportion of medicinal herb powder in the Cheongkukjang preparation increased. The major amino acids of Cheongkukjang were glutamic acid, aspartic acid, leucine, arginine, and lysine and the principal fatty acids were linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, and linolenic acid. Addition of medicinal herb powder to Cheongkukjang increased both crude saponin and quercetin contents. Sensory scores of Cheongkukjang containing 2% (w/v) medicinal herb powder were optimal in terms of both quality characteristics and sensory evaluation.